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Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) under President Bola Tinubu of attempting to retain power through undemocratic means.

In a statement personally signed by him, Atiku alleged that the Tinubu-led APC was using political brigandage and subversion to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.

He was reacting to the crisis in Osun State, which resulted in the death of one person, and the invasion of the Lagos State House of Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police.

Atiku claimed that the APC orchestrated an attack on the democratic process in Osun by attempting to take over local government secretariats using force. He commended the people of Osun for resisting what he described as an attempt to suppress democracy.

He further called on security agencies deployed for the elections to uphold professionalism and avoid being used as political enforcers.

“These are dangerous times. The APC has abandoned any pretense of democratic legitimacy, resorting instead to brute force in its bid to cling to power,” he stated.

Atiku warned that Nigerians must resist any attempts to subvert democracy, adding that the country demands governance, not chaos.

He urged Tinubu and his administration to put an end to what he described as reckless political sabotage, insisting that Nigerians would not allow their democracy to be hijacked.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Oyo State Command, has apprehended 40 suspected illegal immigrants in Akinyele Local Government Area.

Oyo State Comptroller of NIS, Tayo Dada, confirmed the arrests, stating they were carried out based on credible intelligence.

Profiling of the suspects revealed that 27 are Cameroonians, two are Ghanaians, 10 are Beninese, and one is Togolese. Among them, 32 are males and eight are females, aged between 18 and 35 years.

Further investigations indicated that 10 of the individuals are farmers, while 30 claimed to be engaged in online marketing. None possessed valid residence permits or travel documents, having entered Nigeria through unauthorized routes.

Dada disclosed that the Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, has ordered the necessary procedures to be followed for their repatriation.

The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed claims that its 2027 presidential ticket has been zoned to the South-East.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party clarified that comments attributed to its National Chairman, Julius Abure, were misinterpreted.

“Labour Party is a national party with a broad support base across the country, and as such, the issue of zoning does not arise,” the statement read.

Ifoh explained that Abure had only urged South-East members at a gathering on Saturday to engage other regions in building political alliances to enhance their chances of securing the presidency.

He cited the Yoruba political bloc’s success in past elections as an example of how strategic realignments could improve electoral prospects.

“In the 2023 general elections, the party secured victories in both northern and southern states, and we are working to surpass that achievement in future elections,” Ifoh added.

He emphasized that all candidates would emerge through a competitive and democratic process, as the party’s constitution does not support zoning.

“We regret the misinterpretation of our party’s position by a section of the media. The Labour Party was quoted out of context,” the statement said.

The LP fielded former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, where he finished third behind President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).